MA Top 30 Professional: Christopher Gruits

Executive and Artistic Director
Penn Live Arts, University of Pennsylvania

Since his 2016 arrival at the University of Pennsylvania from Interlochen Center for the Arts (where he was VP and executive producer of programming), Christopher Gruits has overhauled and rebranded Penn’s popular multi-disciplinary performing arts series. For starters, in 2021 he changed what used to be called the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts to, simply, Penn Live Arts.

“[W]e really see [the name] Penn having a much broader and deeper impact,” Gruits says. “[W]e are giving our audiences…a more impactful range of world-class artistry and we’re providing innovative ways of experiencing these programs.”

Among his many feats, Gruits launched a successful fundraising campaign, the series’ first in 50 years, that has enabled the renovation of the historic Annenberg Center, the construction of the Weitzman Theater and of new 3,100-sq.-ft. theater in the Student Performing Arts Center. He has renewed the presenter’s commitment to new work and local engagement, overseeing more than 50 premieres and inviting numerous young artists to make their Philadelphia debuts. He has launched the Accelerator Program, which supports new storytelling about the community.

“As part of a university, we’re in a great place to do that,” says Gruits. “We prioritize artists and their stories as a way for people to connect with each other…[and] engage with the issues of our time.”

Perhaps the most broadly impactful effort by Gruits is “Toll the Bell,” a city-wide sound installation activated annually on National Gun Violence Awareness Day with a prolonged period of bell ringing. A collaboration with Penn’s Office of the Chaplain, Interfaith Philadelphia, the installation is designed to call attention to gun violence in the city and beyond.

“It’s been a significant investment in time and resources, but one that’s very worth the effort,” says Gruits. “It’s deeply moving. It is gratifying to be able to provide a platform and serve as a catalyst for conversation.”